Since arriving in Boston I have spent a lot of time in or around the BU student campus, which is located in the heart of the city. There are about a dozen institutes of higher education in this city, including MIT and Harvard. Boston is unmistakably a student city, and Boston University (simply referred to by the students as BU) is the biggest institution here.

The facilities at Boston University never cease to amaze me. With assets of 2.7 billion dollars they have invested heavily in their infrastructure, such as a brand new Fitness and Recreation Centre next to the impeccable Student Village accommodation. This evening several of us got together at Jenny's apartment in the Student Village to play Settlers of Catan. It was also a perfect opportunity to introduce some newbies to Tim Tam explosions, which they of course loved. A fun night was had by all.

At the end of the evening Datta took me up to the top floor to show me a common room that had spectacular views of the city at night. Of course, all these facilities come at a price. Staying at the Student Village costs up to $10k for the school year; and I heard from some of the students that full fees for studying at BU can be as high as $40k! That's why getting a scholarship can make such a huge difference in students' choice of where to study.